deceased 1 of 3

deceased

2 of 3

verb

past tense of decease

deceased

3 of 3

noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective deceased contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of deceased are dead, defunct, departed, and late. While all these words mean "devoid of life," deceased, departed, and late apply to persons who have died recently. deceased is the preferred term in legal use.

the estate of the deceased

Where would dead be a reasonable alternative to deceased?

While in some cases nearly identical to deceased, dead applies literally to what is deprived of vital force but is used figuratively of anything that has lost any attribute (such as energy, activity, radiance) suggesting life.

a dead, listless performance

When is defunct a more appropriate choice than deceased?

The meanings of defunct and deceased largely overlap; however, defunct stresses cessation of active existence or operation.

a defunct television series

When could departed be used to replace deceased?

The words departed and deceased can be used in similar contexts, but departed is used usually as a euphemism.

our departed sister

When is it sensible to use late instead of deceased?

Although the words late and deceased have much in common, late is used especially with reference to a person in a specific relation or status.

the company's late president

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of deceased
Adjective
GEDMatch is one of the databases used by the DNA Doe project, a non-profit that works to name the deceased who remain unidentified. Crimesider Staff, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2018
Verb
Tormented by visions of the Grabber and her deceased mother, Gwen convinces Finney to join her at a Christian youth camp where their mom once worked. Jack Dunn, Variety, 20 Oct. 2025 Because its subject is deceased, the new library card isn’t technically usable. Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
Noun
The moves have been made to pay tribute to a variety of different people including the victims of the September 28 Michigan Mormon church shooting, deceased politicians and firefighters and police officers who died in the line of duty. James Bickerton, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025 After extinguishing the fire, officials found Robert Hill, 44, deceased with severe burns, apparent head trauma, and signs of decomposition, according to Melesa Johnson with the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office. Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for deceased
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deceased
Adjective
  • Mental health advocates said Lauren Spors' encounters with law enforcement in the days and hours before her mother was found dead show multiple points of possible intervention.
    David Clarey, jsonline.com, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Carrig and her newborn baby were pronounced dead at the scene, and Haile was taken to a local hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation, the DA said.
    Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 26 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The 19-year-old driver of the SUV, Yaakov Kilberg, and the three 18-year-old passengers — Aharon Lebovits, Shlomo Cohen and Chaim Grossman — all died, the outlets reported.
    Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Despite lifesaving measures, the man died from his injuries, according to Adger.
    Julie Mendes, AZCentral.com, 23 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The masks were made directly on the decedents' skulls, covering their jaw and face.
    Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Details on firearm ownership were missing for 23% of the decedents.
    Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The researchers found the pathogens — Salmonella enterica and Borrelia recurrentis, bacteria that cause paratyphoid fever and relapsing fever, respectively — by analyzing teeth from the fallen soldiers who were found in a mass grave uncovered in 2001 in Vilnius, Lithuania.
    Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Carruth often begins with a small image, such as a fallen pearl or a misplaced wand, and lets the story unspool from emotion.
    William Jones, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Unfortunately, Castro-Rivera perished.
    Armando Garcia, ABC News, 26 Oct. 2025
  • All told, hundreds of thousands perished.
    Ari Daniel, NPR, 24 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The character was loosely inspired by Ed Gein, a real serial killer and grave robber from Wisconsin who dug up corpses and used their bones and skin to make everything from clothing to furniture and even silverware.
    Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
  • And the mass graves of corpses evicted from San Francisco cemeteries a century ago.
    Chris Kenning, USA Today, 25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • His latest film is the drama Sentimental Value, about a father attempting to reconnect with his daughters, which Skarsgård starred in and executive produced.
    Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Oct. 2025
  • United’s midfielders, namely Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes, need to be switched on to the kind of late runs into the box that Phil Foden produced for Manchester City at the Etihad last month.
    Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The at-bats were brief and uneventful, the opposite of the approach that carried Toronto to this stage and felled Snell in Game 1.
    Andy McCullough, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
  • That says a lot about the 2025 Red Sox, who were a top offensive team in many metrics, but were also felled by their bats in crucial spots throughout the year and postseason.
    Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 23 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Deceased.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deceased. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.

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